CineSud takes Film Talents to Cannes 2019

Six new filmmakers from the Netherlands and Belgium are heading to Cannes Film Festival this year for an intensive training- and networking program organised by CineSud. A week ago the participants met each other at the headquarters of CineSud to get to know each other and discuss their goals and ambitions. Who are the lucky filmmakers this year, who get the chance to show their film- and networking-skills at one of the most valuable film festivals in the industry? Our intern Loes Wenemoser reports.

A dream comes true

The kick-off meeting is a great success. Six ambitious new filmmakers from throughout the Netherlands and even from across the border have gathered at the headquarters of CineSud – some of them here for the first time, others having been in touch with the organisation before, but all are here with the same destination in mind: Cannes. More specifically so, Cannes Film Festival – the big dream of everyone who has ever even thought of creating a film. The red carpet, exclusive showings, famous directors, producers and actors… Need I say more?

Excited

Obviously, everyone seems more than excited to be part of the selected New Dutch Talents that will be sent to Cannes in a month to present the films they worked on at the Market Screening and the Marché du Film. Cannes-veteran Remy Kooi jokes that he intends to drink a lot and party even more once he gets there – an opinion that’s clearly shared by the other attendees but as soon as the meeting starts, the directors and producers reveal their true intentions.

Jan Verdijk

Director Jan Verdijk tells us how curious he is about the Film Market and its visitors, as this is the first time he will be going to Cannes. Last year, he made the shortfilm Wild, which is the movie he will be presenting at the Film Market. Wild tells the story of a family going on a vacation to the hilly Limburg landscape together with their son, while the father – the self-proclaimed head of the family – had actually rather stayed home. He starts behaving erratically, up to the point that everyone and everything has enough of his behaviour and his family and even nature itself turn against him. Jan is excited to see how his movie is going to do at the Market, and curious to see who may be interested in it. Next to that, Jan is working on his first feature film script, for which he hopes to find financing partners, producers or writing development programs in Cannes.

Remy Kooi

Unlike Jan Verdijk, director Remy Kooi has visited Cannes three times already, which means he now knows what will work and what won’t. This year he will bring his shortfilm Sovereign to the Market Screening – a film about a man who refuses to leave his country, even when a disaster is about to strike and the rest of the county has been evacuated. Not only does Remy hope to sell the short film he directed and co-wrote, but he also hopes to make valuable contacts for future endeavors, especially regarding his plans to develop mid- and feature-length projects situated in the Netherlands – Belgium – Germany region.

Raynor Arkenbout

Raynor Arkenbout, director of the short film What You and I Share With the Salmon, shares this aspiration – he too aims to make new connections with fellow filmmakers in Cannes and encounter possible future collaborators, with a special focus on the United States. His twelve minute film could be described as a drama / comedy and is about love, intimacy and sex in general. “If merely 10% of the people who watch my film like it, then I’m happy already.”

Thomas Mataheru

Beside the three directors, Blanc Film producer Thomas Mataheru will also join the trip to Cannes to present the experimental short film Sisters. With this film he graduated from the Dutch Film Academy and to him it is a showpiece that shows exactly what he and his team are capable of. Sisters is not a usual short film. It is a dance film about three young sisters that live in isolation; all they have is each other. Thomas hopes to build contacts at Cannes and to learn more about international co-productions.

Michael van den Eynde & Bas Geelen

As said before, the invitations to Cannes even went across the border. Belgian Everstory producer Michael van den Eynde will be representing The Road of Repentance, a Limburgian (both from the Dutch and Belgium side) short film he co-produced along with Bas Geelen, producer at Kingswood Filmproductions. They are both going to the Film Festival to present the historical film about 12th century St. Gerlachus – a true story about a knight who, after a lifetime of fighting, experiences a harsh turning point. Bas is excited to meet like-minded filmmakers and other co-producers from the Netherlands – just like Michael, who can’t wait to expand his international network. Because of their interest in genre-films, both producers also especially hope to get more producers- and sales-contacts in Asia and the United States.